The Guardian left the comments on…

That's disgraceful and dishonest by the Guardian. The fact that they are always patting themselves on the back for their probity makes it even worse.

Cowards for editing it. I also read it with a grin and came here to see if there was a thread. Lucy Mangan is bang on and what she wrote shouldn’t be censored.

Reminds me of the casting call Pixar put out in 2021.

I have known a lot of trans teens since my own teenage years, and the fictional representations rarely reflect my lived experience.

Interestingly, this paragraph appears to have been edited - the underlined sentence now reads: If Sex Education were staying true to its early, far more radical roots, it might do more than just hint at the potential downsides of relentless positivity, but here the rule remains absolute affirmation only.

Laurie Nunn was just interviewed by Mariella Frostrup on Times Radio. I might not have caught all of it but it didn't stray over to trans territory.

According to the descriptions given for each role, these two are quite the power couple. Abbi is described as having "a '90s Winona Ryder vibe". The character is "confident and self-assured in her gender identity".
Her bio reads: "Abbi is the leader of her group and the queen bee of her college. She's sunny, magnetic, generous and loyal."....He is "goofy, forgetful, and a great listener" but "not as sure about being one of the popular kids as Abbi....But he knows himself and feels quietly confident about his final year at college," the description also says.*

Nice of Laurie Nunn to educate me that young transpeople can be competely unlike any young trans person I've met, or am likely to meet.

I remember the breathless 'no previous acting experience required' casting call for this, widely reported by an excited youth media - I mean, from the sounds of it, "Winona Ryder vibe" and all, what teenager wouldn't be attracted to, or want to try to emulate, this amazing "power couple"? They're "the epitome of couple goals", apparently.

"Sex Education welcome two trans characters in season four, continuing improving LGBTQ+ representation on screen...The show is currently casting the roles of a young trans woman named Abbi and her trans-masculine boyfriend Kent. According to the descriptions given for each role, these two are quite the power couple. Abbi is described as having "a '90s Winona Ryder vibe". The character is "confident and self-assured in her gender identity".
Her bio reads: "Abbi is the leader of her group and the queen bee of her college. She's sunny, magnetic, generous and loyal."....He is "goofy, forgetful, and a great listener" but "not as sure about being one of the popular kids as Abbi....But he knows himself and feels quietly confident about his final year at college," the description also says.
As for their relationship, we know the writers imagine Abbi and Kent as "the epitome of couple goals" and that "everyone loves them".
The casting call is open to those who don't have previous acting experience." (Digital Spy)

Lucy has hinted at Terfiness before, so I'm glad she's come right out and said it! Good for her. Always liked her.

This kind of thing has ruined a lot of shows. It just stifles creativity.

Something has to give ; you can't serve 2 masters. Perhaps the Guardian will simply relocate to Los Angeles. Like the Brooklyn Dodgers. And Tamla Motown Records. $$$

Sex Education was a good show originally with a positive message for teenagers. But it has turned into a box tick exercise in recent seasons - disabled character, trans character, characters with every shade of sexuality that exists…and it sounds like season four is even more so. Shame.

It’s just that Sex Education represents a certain type of (mostly) middle class, introspective young adult. It’s highly individualistic and all the characters are on their own planet.

That doesn't sound exciting but tbh it does sound realistic, at least for trans (!)

Well done Lucy 👏🏼
And brave too.

Did anyone see comments before they deleted?!! Would love to see the tone…

Same thing with anything vaguely relating to women or women's bodies. No comments or very tightly pre-moderated. Sometimes you see something with comments that are more holes than cheese. I think it's partly cost saving, partly embarrassment.

And those 'submit a comment of up to 300 words'. What happens to them? They never seem to be published.

For a paper that prides itself on being right-on and a champion of free speech

It prides itself on being right-on, but I don’t believe it prides itself as a champion of free speech. In fact I think it prides itself as being opposing of speech it deems “harmful” and curtailing speech it seems damaging to those it has deigned to be worthy of protection. It prides itself as being all knowing of what the plebs should and shouldn’t hear.

I read this, this morning, and did a mental shout out: 'Lucy Mangan is a terf!' and came here to have a look for a thread.

There is gender identity representation via Abbi and Roman, with the latter seemingly there solely to offer Cal (Dua Saleh) the sight of someone further down the road to transition and fill in viewers on the length of waiting lists and the costs of private surgery. If Sex Education were staying true to its early, far more radical roots, it might have questioned the idea of surgery on healthy bodies as a cure for anything, but although it hints later at the potential downsides of relentless positivity, here the rule remains absolute affirmation only. Asexuality is also given a shoutout and, over in the US, Ellen (Marie Reuther), a fellow student on Maeve’s course, is simply a bundle of privileges that Maeve is without. (My underlining emphasis.)

Got to hand it to Lucy Mangan - she's an excellent writer. Unlike, say, 'our generation's Orwell'.

I’ve noticed the Guardian always has the comments off for anything remotely trans-related. Surely they have moderators who can check there are no insulting, offensive comments being posted. There could be a short timelapse before comments are published to ensure nothing nasty or spiteful is written. Or … are they frightened that a reasonable discussion will be had - showing GC people are not hateful villains after all but quite reasonable people holding views that are shared by the majority of the population? To clarify - live and let live, let trans people thrive in society without discrimination, and at the same time, preserve women-only spaces and protect children from unnecessary surgical interventions. It’s not hard. For a paper that prides itself on being right-on and a champion of free speech, they’re gutless cowards who are in thrall to their rainbow masters.

They had to switch comments on the long-running beauty column because of all the tedious "why are you women wasting money on moisturiser and mascara" posts that derailed the otherwise lovely chat every single week.

People can't resist telling women they're wrong!

LOJ quit his cushy gig at the Guardian!? Like the Canadian politicians who suddenly discovered their commitment to the T stopped when it risked a vote that would might cost them their pay jobs. Never gonna happen.

Wish I'd seen the comments though.

Or he will continue with his YouTube channel with his devoted group of followers where he speaks “the truth” about how you can’t trust the MSM about anything (trans related). You know, like his mate Russell Brand 🤨.

Owen Jones can't stem the tide of public opinion.

He'll end up leaving the Guardian over their failure to deal with transphobia and get a cushy job as the editor of Pink News.

Since when have the Graun not allowed comments on a TV review?

(Rhetorical question)

How long until Owen Jones and his posse of women hating weirdos has her out of a job?!?